Zoya Akhtar Quotes

Zoya Akhtar

Profession : Director

Birth : October 14, 1972

But disco is the remedy for ghosts.

Zoya Akhtar

I had an experience which I could not explain to myself and to others while I was on my way back from a south Mumbai party. It was near Haji Ali. All six of us who were travelling went through this. And this experience which I went through became the vital ingredient of the story of 'Talaash'.

Zoya Akhtar

To make a good film is an art. Gender is irrelevant when it comes to craft of filmmaking.

Zoya Akhtar

Films were always a passion for me but it was when I saw 'Salaam Bombay' that I decided that it was film direction that I was interested in. That is when I decided I wanted to direct films.

Zoya Akhtar

I like movies too much. I watch all kinds of films. In a way, all filmmakers are basically audience.

Zoya Akhtar

I feel blessed and lucky with my family, not because of the privilege, of course, I'm grateful for that as well that we never wanted anything.

Zoya Akhtar

Who will you replace Dibakar Banerjee with? There isn't another one.

Zoya Akhtar

We were allowed to make mistakes. I mean that is a real privilege, to be able to go your own way, find your voice, just have a support system that allows you to do all that.

Zoya Akhtar

As a filmmaker when you show your film to anybody, you want it to be liked. You want the reviews to be positive. After watching your film, you want people to feel good.

Zoya Akhtar

I like hip-hop personally. It is a genre I am very attached to and have been listening to all my life. But I have always engaged with foreign artistes, never with mainstream Indian hip-hop rap space.

Zoya Akhtar

Freedom is a sentiment associated with the youth. It is rebellion. It is what you feel at that age, and it is very important.

Zoya Akhtar

The class system in India is very hard, and it is very unfair.

Zoya Akhtar

I draw cinematic and photography and art references from everywhere. That's part of my job. So yes, you watch films, you see artists for palettes, photographers for mood.

Zoya Akhtar

When you're scoring music for a film, it has to be interwoven with the narrative, it has to reflect the mood, the ethos.

Zoya Akhtar

I feel like all my films have my politics. As a film-maker, whatever story you're telling, your value system comes out.

Zoya Akhtar

We need to develop artists who are not just scoring films. I'm hoping 'Gully Boy' can help with that.

Zoya Akhtar

I come from a space where I wouldn't say all, but most of the films have really shortchanged women. I don't mean just the actresses, even just depicting us in that culture.

Zoya Akhtar

Every time you make a film you want to put something out there and that's important to me.

Zoya Akhtar

I think actors get paid a lot and technicians don't get paid enough and I think that it should change because a good film, which is like a complete package, needs every single member of that team. I think we need to pay them more.

Zoya Akhtar

As film makers or any artiste that put work out there, what you are doing on your level is that you are putting consciousness out into the world.

Zoya Akhtar